Analysis of 10-year survival after flexion osteotomy for femoral head necrosis

Aim: We have investigated the value of flexion osteotomy for femoral head necrosis with regard to the survival rate. Method: We examined 40 patients who were treated by flexion osteotomy for femoral head necrosis at the Hannover Medical School in the years 1969 to 1995. The mean follow-up period was 14.1 years. Results: The mean survival time of the flexion osteotomies was 9.6 years. In 23 of the 40 patients, it failed within 10 years after Surgery, which implies a 10-year survival Fate of 42.5 %. For these 23 patients, the implantation of a total hip arthroplasty (THA) became necessary after an average time of 6.6 years. Conclusion: Due to the poorly predictable success of the flexion osteotomy and the comparatively poor patient satisfaction, the indication for flexion osteotomy in such cases should be reconsidered.